Chili's opens 'Scranton Branch' restaurant as tribute to 'The Office'
Chili’s Grill & Bar has opened a new location in Dickson City, Pa., that pays homage to a popular 2000s sitcom.
The restaurant chain’s new, permanent “Scranton Branch” location will open its doors on April 7, celebrating the chain's inclusion on the Emmy Award-winning mockumentary sitcom “The Office,” which followed office workers at the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton. Two of the show’s episodes featured Chili’s as a location.
The space has a retro feel and is designed as it would have been in the mid-2000s. It features a giant "Scranton Branch" chalk art mural created by the original Chili's artist from the early 2000s. (Chalk art murals were were once a mainstay of Chili’s restaurants.) Other throwback elements include vintage artwork and colorful tile tables. There is also a recreated business lunch booth photo opp where customers can snap the perfect 2005 frame.
In addition to the decor, the Scranton Branch Chili’s will be the only Chili's location to include the fan-favorite Awesome Blossom on the menu. The item was discontinued in 2008.
"For decades, Chili's has inserted itself in culture – introducing the now-famous Baby Back Ribs jingle, and most recently unleashing Triple Dipper cheese pulls on TikTok," said George Felix, Chili's chief marketing officer. "But we've also seen the brand come to life on screen through the years, and that includes being tied to Scranton despite never having a location there. That changes this year with our newest restaurant. A moment this big was way more than a pop-up could pay off, so we created Chili's Scranton Branch to feel like a familiar home to fans complete with the perfect throwback menu item in the Awesome Blossom, and we can't wait for them to join us."
To promote the new restaurant, Chili’s has released promotional materials featuring some of the show’s stars, including Brian Baumgartner and Kate Flannery. Other actors, including Melora Hardin, Andy Buckley and Amy Pietz, are also featured in a promotional video for the location.
"Seeing Chili's Scranton Branch was like stepping into a time machine, especially if that time machine could also spit out the greatest appetizer of all time, the Awesome Blossom," said Baumgartner, who played Kevin Malone on the show. "Scranton is a city I'm very protective of, and working with Chili's to open this location was a natural fit. The Chili's team pulled out all the stops in creating this restaurant, and I'll be stopping in for an Awesome Blossom every time I come visit."
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Chili’s operates almost 1,600 restaurants in 29 countries and two territories.
